No charges to be brought in liquor deaths of two boys

Published Thursday, April 15, 2004

POLSON, Mont. (AP) -- Authorities will not bring charges in the deaths of two sixth-graders whose frozen bodies were found in a snowy field after they guzzled large amounts of vodka, investigators said Wednesday.

The sheriff's department investigated suspicions that an adult supplied the liquor to Justin Benoist and Frankie Nicolai III, both 11. But authorities have closed the case after failing to find any evidence to charge anyone, the department said Wednesday.

Almost from the time their bodies were found March 1, there were claims the boys may have stolen the liquor from area homes. "We cannot disprove that at this point," detective Jay Doyle said.